Airtel gets 21 MW solar for data centers: Telecommunications giant Bharti Airtel will use solar power from 21 MW capacity in Bhuldana, Maharashtra for its Nxtra large and edge data centers and switching centers. It has commissioned this capacity in partnership with Avaada Energy. The captive solar power plant has come up on 80 acres of land to help the company lower its carbon footprint. In March 2021, Airtel acquired 3.33% stake in Avaada MHBhuldana, increasing its stake to 8.5% in the SPV after acquiring 5.2% interest in November 2020 (see India PV News Snippets: Engie, Bharti Airtel, Tata Power).
TPREL commissions 100 MW solar: Tata Power Renewable Energy Limited (TPREL) has energized 100 MW solar power capacity in the form of 2 projects of 50 MW each at Prayagraj and Banda in Uttar Pradesh. It deployed 1,59,600 modules for the Prayagraj facility with 16 inverters. For the Banda facility, it deployed 1,67,440 modules with 16 inverters. Together, the 2 facilities are designed to generate over 221.26 million units annually to be supplied to Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL) under power purchase agreement (PPA). Tata Power said these projects increase its operational renewable energy capacity to 3.05 GW comprising 2.123 GW solar and 932 MW wind energy. It has another 1.854 GW at various stages of implementation.
Electrolyzer manufacturing JV in India: Norway's HydrogenPro AS has entered a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with India's Larsen & Toubro (L&T) to establish a joint venture (JV) that can establish GW scale manufacturing of alkaline water electrolyzers. HydrogenPro will provide its technology for the Indian market to the proposed JV. "The Green Hydrogen industry is at a nascent stage with an immense potential to offer great opportunities. This partnership is a right step in creating clean, green and sustainable future," said Whole Time Director (Energy), L&T, Subramanian Sarma.
1 million RE jobs by 2030 in India: By 2030, India could employ around 1 million in renewable energy jobs, which would be an increase from the current 110,000 employed in the industry. According to the Expanding Clean Energy Workforce study by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and Skill Council for Green Jobs (SCGJ), most of these potential jobs will be in small scale renewables as rooftop solar and mini & micro-grid systems. Overall, India could create around 3.4 million temporary and permanent jobs by installing 238 GW solar and 101 GW new wind capacity to achieve the 500 GW non-fossil electricity generation capacity by 2030 goal.
Between 2015 and 2017, India trained 78,000 people under the government's Suryamitra program to ensure skilled workers for the industry. India's focus on local solar PV manufacturing will also add additional jobs along with in ancillary industries in the near future.
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